


Steve's First Pride

by breathedeep222



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, Homophobic Language, M/M, Pride Parade
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-09
Updated: 2014-07-09
Packaged: 2018-02-08 03:13:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,665
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1924593
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/breathedeep222/pseuds/breathedeep222
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve goes to his first pride parade. Bucky is a jerk about it until he isn't.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Steve's First Pride

**Author's Note:**

> I was in the mood to write something and heartsdesire456 really wanted this, so here it is!

"You are not wearing that!" 

Bucky looked to the doorway of the bedroom at Clint's exclamation, and choked on his own spit. Steve was decked out head to in rainbow. He was wearing a rainbow plaid shirt, with rainbow suspenders, bright red pants, and black converse with the logo colored in rainbow. 

"Steve, what the hell?" Bucky asked, once he picked his jaw off the floor.

Steve's proud smile dropped and was replaced with a frown of confusion. "What's wrong? You're supposed to wear rainbow."

Clint snorts from his place lounging on the couch. "You're not supposed to cover yourself in it. You look ridiculous."

"Look at what you're wearing! How can you lecture me about clothes?" Steve waved his hands at Clint's outfit. All Clint was wearing was a pair of purple leather shorts and black shades, nothing else. "Also, we're supposed to be in disguise!" Steve gestured to the bow and arrows at his feet.

"Exactly. No one is going to expect me to go as myself. It's the perfect disguise!"

Steve rolled his eyes and turned his attention to Bucky, who was sitting on the couch across from Clint. Steve sighed when he caught site of Bucky's all black ensemble. Stark had made Bucky a normal looking arm, so luckily Bucky didn't have to worry about a disguise.

"You're not even going to try?" 

Bucky smirked and shrugged. "I agreed to come with you and watch a bunch of fairies make fools of themselves."

Steve took a breath to start scolding Bucky, but Clint interrupted him. 

"Yo! You better keep comments like that to yourself while we're there. You don't want to face a mob of angry queers."

"I could take them," Bucky retorted.

"You've obviously never fought a drag queen."

Clint's comment made Steve turn his glare away from Bucky, and they both looked at him curiously. "Have you?" Bucky asked. That sounded like a story he wanted to hear.

 

"If we don't leave now we're going to be late," Natasha piped up from her place on the arm of the couch, done with their antics.

 

"Don't worry kiddies," Clint said while he slung his bow and arrow over his back, "I'll tell you about it on the way."

_______________________________

"Wow," Steve muttered, staring at the people in disbelief. He knew what he was getting into before he came. He had watched videos of gay pride parades online, which was why he wanted to go to one in the first place. Still, he was not prepared for the experience in person. They were surrounded by people, some bursting with color like Steve, and others scantily dressed like Clint. Some were young, some people even brought their children (and that Steve would never get used to) and some were old. But no matter what, everyone had one uniting factor, they were all happy. 

"Oh lord look at that one."

Everyone except for Bucky.

Bucky had spent the entire time whispering about the people on the floats in Steve's ear. He had to whisper because he had nothing nice to say. His favorite activity was making jokes about all the drag queens. Steve understood to an extent. He didn't think he would ever adjust to seeing men in drag so normalized, but there was no reason to be rude about it the way Bucky was. Steve had hoped once they got here, it would hit Bucky how amazing this event was, and he could let go of his hang ups.

"Honestly, this just makes me know those laws to ban these people in public were the right move," Bucky said, referring to a particularly sexualized float passing by them. 

"Dude!" Clint said as he looked at Bucky in shock. Clint and Natasha were flanking them on either side, and Bucky's comment had apparently been loud enough to be heard by the others. "You do realize you and your boyfriend are one of those people?"

Bucky stepped back from Clint, appalled. "We are _not_ one of those people," he said, disgust wrapped around every word. "This," Bucky lifted their clasped hands for indication, "does not make us them," he said, pointing at the crowd. "The way they're acting is an embarrassment."

"Enough!" Steve's outburst grabbed the attention of all his friends. "What is wrong with you?" He asked Bucky angrily.

Bucky looked at Steve with wide eyes. "Steve, look, I know this kind of stuff makes you all sentimental, but you have to admit this is fucked."

"This is _beautiful_ ," Steve said, with as much of the anger and passion he'd been holding in all day. "How can you not see that? This is freedom. The way they act represents everything they've fought for. It doesn't matter how messed up you think it is, because they are _free_ and they can act however makes them happy. Look at us!" Steve lifted their hands and held them in front of Bucky's face. Never in a million years would we have thought this was possible without it being followed by death. Without all of this," he said, pointing at the parade, "we never could have been together." Steve looked at Bucky with perplexed eyes. "Why does this all mean nothing to you?"

Bucky stared at him in shock, but Steve could see the guilt slowly take over his expression. "Steve I-"

"Don't," Steve interrupted, pulling his hand from Bucky's. "I don't want you to apologize just because you feel bad. I want you to mean it."  
_____________________________

Bucky had been through a lot of crap since he got his memory back, but nothing felt as bad as when Steve pulled away from him. Steve had always been there for him no matter how bad things got. For Steve to pull away meant he had messed up BAD.

The problem was Bucky didn't know what he had done. Yeah, he made some jokes that were harsh, but it wasn't the first or last time Bucky would say something he shouldn't have. Besides, that wouldn't be enough to push Steve away. He had done plenty of inappropriate things while learning to readjust. Things that should have pissed Steve off. But instead Steve always took the time to teach him what he did wrong, and not in the manner he did just now.

Steve didn't say all that with the intention of educating Bucky. There was something else in Steve's voice, something almost...imploring. Steve was upset with him. What he said wasn't just wrong, it was hurtful. He hurt Steve, and he needed to figure out how to fix it.

Bucky thought back over Steve's speech, trying to find a clue about what he was upset about. He understood that he might have been being a bit insensitive by joking about the parade, but there was no reason for Steve to take it so personally.

Oh. Personal.

_"Without all of this, we never could have been together."_

In not taking this seriously, Steve thought Bucky didn't take them seriously. 

Bucky turned his head to apologize to Steve, but paused at the sight of him. The carefree smile Steve had been wearing all day was gone, and he was clearly drawn in on himself. Right now he would interpret any apology Bucky said out of guilt, not understanding. Bucky had to prove that he didn't just feel bad for hurting Steve, but that he understood what Steve meant. 

Bucky sighed and hung his head, rubbing his hand through his hair as he tried to think. That's when he caught site of the colored converse logo on Steve's sneaker, and an idea hit him.

"I'll be back," he said to Natasha in Russian. Then he left their place in the audience to find the face painter they had seen earlier.  
______________________________________

Steve was pissed. He had been enjoying this day, even with Bucky's less off colored jokes, but the last ten minutes just ruined it. Even if Natasha told him not to worry when Bucky walked off, he couldn't believe he would do that instead of wanting to fix the problem.

"Missed me?" 

Steve startled when Bucky snuck into his original spot between Steve and Clint. 

"Where have you been?" Steve asked, ignoring the parade and focusing on Bucky. In his anger, he didn't notice Clint smirking on the other side.

"I have a surprise for you," Bucky said vaguely. He wasn't facing Steve, but looking at him out of the corner of his eye with his head facing the parade.

"Is it ignoring me?" Steve asked sullenly.

Bucky laughed and shook his head. "No punk." Bucky turned to face him completely, and the sight took Steve's breath away.

Taking up the entire space of Bucky's left cheek, was a rainbow version of Steve's shield.

"Bucky," Steve gasped. He reached his hand up and touched the drying paint on Bucky's cheek gently.

"I'm sorry Steve," Bucky said, placing his hand over Steve's. "I should never had said those things, because," Bucky hesitated and Steve felt him run his thumb over their hands. "Because anything that leads to us being together is good."

"Dammit Buck." Steve had to pull his hand away to wipe the tears welling in his eyes. He couldn't believe he had someone who cared about him so much standing right in front of him, when not that long ago he figured he'd be alone forever.

"Aw man, don't cry." Bucky said, laughing at Steve. Bucky placed his hands on Steve's shoulders and snuck his fingers underneath Steve's suspenders. "Come 'ere," Bucky whispered, before pulling Steve into a kiss. Steve knew Bucky wasn't always great with talking about things, but right then he didn't need to be. The kiss said everything Bucky was feeling.

When they broke apart their foreheads stayed touched together. Bucky smiled at him and snapped his suspenders. "I guess these ridiculous things have a use after all."

"Jerk," Steve laughed and kissed him again.

Bucky broke the kiss and said "You like it, punk."

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you liked it!


End file.
